Isramart llc: US government launches pincer attack on inefficient homes

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The US Department of Energy yesterday unveiled a standard for home energy audits, which it says will complement a new initiative designed to provide low-interest loans for domestic energy efficiency improvements.

The DoE's Home Energy Score initiative will provide an easily digestible energy efficiency score for homes, which acting under secretary of energy Cathy Zoi likened to the efficiency rating that the Department of Transportation gives to vehicles.

The rating ranks a home on a scale of one to 10, factoring in parameters such as region, home size and total energy used in the home.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the new scheme alongside vice president Joe Biden, energy secretary Stephen Chu said the new home energy efficiency audits will be carried out by qualified inspectors.

Inspectors will then enter information from their analysis of each home into an online tool which will be used to calculate the home's energy score. The system will also provide an estimate on how much the building's score could be improved if recommended energy improvements are carried out, as well as an estimate of potential energy savings.

The initiative was announced alongside the launch of a two-year pilot scheme from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which will see the government guarantee 20-year bank loans that are used for green home improvement purposes.

The FHA PowerSaver loans, which will be piloted in 10 regions, will offer homeowners up to $25,000 (£15,500) for home energy retrofits, including insulation, duct sealing, doors and windows, HVAC systems, water heaters, solar panels, and geothermal systems.

The government will pay back up to 90 per cent of the loan if the recipient defaults, said the HUD Department.

"Together, these programmes will grow the home retrofit industry and help middle-class families save money and energy," Biden said at the event, adding that the anticipated expansion of retrofitting firms would also create new employment opportunities.